£70 million for home energy efficiency through the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund Release 3

More people will enjoy a warmer home for less thanks to the third release from the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund (GDHIF) worth up to £70 million.

From midday, Monday 16 March, the popular scheme will open to new applications for the new release of funding, with up to £5,600 available to households in England and Wales to help with the cost of installing certain energy saving measures such as solid wall insulation, double glazing, boilers, cavity wall and floor insulation.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said:

We’re helping families keep warmer for less – driving bills down by encouraging more competition between energy suppliers and making over one million homes more energy efficient.

Households up and down the country are reaping the benefits of a warmer home thanks to the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund. And now, with more money available, thousands more can benefit.

More than 25,000 households have already received a voucher for The Green Deal Home Improvement Fund since it launched in June 2014. For the third release of funding, money has been increased for the two measures offer. Domestic energy customers will be able to receive:

up to £3750 for installing solid wall insulation;

and/or up to £1250 for installing two measures from an approved list;

up to £100 refunded for their Green Deal Assessment;

up to £500 more if applying within 12 months of buying a new home.

The £70 million for the third release will be available for applications for solid wall insulation and/or the two measures offer until all the funding is allocated.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Amber Rudd said:

This winter the government has helped people save money while keeping warm – taking an average of £50 off household bills and making it quicker and easier to switch supplier. But to cut bills every winter people need to use less energy.

We’ve already improved over one million homes to make them more energy efficient and we want to help more. Thanks to the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund thousands of families will enjoy lower bills and a warmer home for years to come.

Martin Lewis, founder and editor of MoneySavingExpert.com, says:

There’s nothing that generates action better than free cash – which is what effectively the Home Improvement Fund is. So yet again demand is likely to be huge – the first time it was done £120m went in six weeks, then £24m went within 48 hours, so this time I suspect £70m to last not much longer than a week.

I’d suggest anyone who has already had a Green Deal assessment to be ready to pounce to make sure they aren’t left out in the cold. For those who haven’t but are interested, first do a quick online check which will tell you if it’s worth getting an assessment, if it is, then try and arrange one as soon as possible.

To complete the two-stage application process, householders will need:

A Green Deal Advice Report (GDAR) or Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) that is less than two years old;

A quote from a GDHIF registered installer or provider for work specified on the GDAR or EPC and included on the list of GDHIF approved measures; and

Proof of property ownership (for landlords/undertakings only) Householders are encouraged to get more than one quote, particularly when they are having expensive work done, to make sure they are getting the best deal available.

The up to £70 million available for release 3 is part of the additional £100 million for household energy efficiency announced in October 2014. This funding is in addition to the £450 million already allocated to household energy efficiency from 2014 – 17.

In providing a fund to householders the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund will create job opportunities for the energy efficiency sector as a whole. More than 1100 Green Deal authorised businesses are currently registered to provide work under the scheme.

Funds are limited and DECC may vary the terms of the scheme (including the incentive rates) or suspend or close the scheme, with immediate effect, without notice and at any time.